Diane Akers Pumphrey
Odenton Auxiliary

  Diane Pumphrey is a life member of the Odenton Ladies Auxiliary and is one of the "faithful few" members of the organization. Diane returned to active service with the Auxiliary in 1973, after first joining in 1953.

  Throughout these years, Diane has been a faithful worker and is still one of the first to report for duty in the kitchen at an Auxiliary function, a Fire Company fundraising activity or a Fire Company sponsored social event for the community, such as the observance of Fire Prevention week. She is always on the team or committee, working hard to get the job done.

  The Odenton Ladies Auxiliary is known throughout Anne Arundel County for serving delicious food, and for many years when the ladies served luncheons and dinners, Diane was always there to assist in preparing and serving the food to the public. The ladies still cater for wedding receptions and for other events held in the fire hall, and prepare and serve the food for the fire company's bi-annual bull roasts. If potatoes are on the menu for any fire company or ladies auxiliary function, Diane is the chief potato peeler. Don't get in her way as she uses her knife or potato peeler and don't do it wrong (like peeling too much of the potato away) or you will hear about it.

  Diane is one of the first to arrive at the Train Show, held three times a year in the Fire Hall, where the ladies prepare and sell breakfast and lunch for the vendors and patrons. Then she stays to help clean up after the event. You will find Diane in the kitchen each night of the Fire Company's annual carnival either cooking food, or serving the public, not leaving until the kitchen has been cleaned up and ready for the next night.

  Diane, working with her daughter, is in charge of decorating whenever Odenton hosts an Anne Arundel County Ladies Auxiliary meeting. The two of them have great ideas and donate decorations and gifts for the occasion, such as the neat candy wrappers they created for a county meeting, each wrapper with a fire safety message on it. The Odenton ladies received many compliments on the unusual favors.

  When the Auxiliary decided to sell home-made candy as a fundraiser, Diane was in the lead and her artistic talents took over. But the candy-making experience soon turned sticky and gooey when so many orders were taken it was nearly impossible to fill them.

  For many years, Diane marched with the Ladies Auxiliary at Firemen's parades at Odenton, and throughout Anne Arundel County and Maryland. She also marched in the Maryland Day and I Am An American Day parades. When the Odenton Junior Auxiliary was organized many years ago, Diane was active with the group's fundraising efforts to support the majorettes, with car washes, bake sales, etc.

  Diane enjoys attending the bi-monthly Anne Arundel County Ladies Auxiliary meetings and never misses a meeting.

  Diane is on a team to work in the kitchen during the winter months when the fire company sponsors bingo. During the summer months, when the ladies auxiliary is in charge of bingo, Diane is at the fire hall every Thursday evening to assist with bingo, from start to finish. For the past several years, when Diane attended events at the State Convention at Ocean City, she would return on Thursday to assist with bingo, even though the condo was rented for the entire week. What dedication!

Submitted By: Ruth I. Lyon, President
May 29, 1999